DEEP WATERS

As promised in my last post, "Shame on Us: Overcoming Shame's Grip on Our Lives" , today I am posting a Part Two on the topic of shame. Part One focused on the research and thoughts of Dr. Brene Brown and her book The Gifts of Imperfection . Today, I want to share some spiritual insight. Earlier this month, I attended the annual conference of the Christian Alliance for Orphans (CAFO), a nonprofit organization that supports orphan care ministries and advocates throughout the U.S. and abroad. I thoroughly enjoyed the main speakers, workshops and the opportunity to serve on a multicultural panel on the topic of "Raising Children in a Multi-Ethnic Society."  Perhaps the biggest treat was a workshop I attended near the end of the conference, titled "Shame: Healing the Story of our Lives." Dr. Curt Thompson , a psychiatrist in Falls Church, Virginia, led this workshop examining shame and its effects on the human soul. He also revealed shame's...

I am an unapologetic fan of Dr. Brene Brown , writer and research professor at the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work. The first time I heard Brene speak was at the Willow Creek Association's 2013 Global Leadership Summit . I loved her talk so much I even shared about it here in Deep Waters . Since then, I've heard Brene's popular TED Talks and read her book The Gifts of Imperfection . Brene is an expert on some interesting topics: vulnerability, courage, worthiness and shame . I want to camp out on this last topic today. Even before hearing Brene speak or reading any of her books, I was well-acquainted with shame. I couldn't have defined the word (I'll let her do that in a bit), but I knew shame when it came knocking on my front door. Shame is what I felt earlier this month when I was invited to open up a conference of almost 3000 orphan advocates with prayer. I was nervous and certainly second-guessed their choice to have me pray...

The week in "Deep Waters" we've heard from  Pastor Bill Hybels , General Colin Powell and Patrick Lencioni . Each spoke at the Willow Creek Association's Global Leadership Summit, but each shared a different take on leadership. A common thread among each of them was this: Leadership is not about me. Leadership is about inspiring others towards a passionate vision, and doing that in a way that honors, encourages and blesses them. It's not about me. Wow. So with that in mind, I move on to my next Summit speaker -- Dr. Brene Brown. Dr. Brene Brown Before I share Brene's talk, let me just say - this lady's has some serious chutzpa. She is one of the most courageous women I know. And yet, her courage is a treasure that she earned through some dark days and long nights.  As a university research professor, Brene has spent many years studying people. And what has she studied primarily? Vulnerability. Shame. Worthiness. Authe...